Artificial eyelash elongation



July 13, 1943. E. ADLER 2,324,271

ARTIFICIAL EYELASH ELONGATION Filed March 24, 1943 IN VEN TOR. [Zz'zab elk fizz [e27 4 BY firm, 29m, Mm r wm AITOJPNEYS Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTIFICIAL EYELASH ELONGA'IION Elizabeth Adler, New York, N. Y.

Application March 24, 1943, Serial No. 480,379

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the artificial elongation of eyelashes, and has for its objects the proto each of the eyelash hairs through the medium of an adhesive. This is a time-consuming and expensive operation, and as the attached hairs are worn day and night, they are irritating to the eyes and injurious to the eyelashes. In fact, all of the previously known expedients for elongating eyelashes are objectionable for one reason or another, and particularly because their artificiality is readily discernible, because of the physical discomfort occasioned by their use, and because they too frequently damage or injure the natural eyelash.-

I have discovered that the natural eyelash can be artificially elongated in an extremely simple manner, without being apparent or discernible even upon clos observation, and without any damage or injury to the natural eyelash. Thus, I have found that thin fiber, such as cotton, can be coated or impregnated with a pigmented plastic material, like mascara, and attached to the natural eyelash by its inherent plasticity or adhesiveness to simulate a naturally long eyelash without the artificiality being discernible. Based on this discovery, one aspect of my invention involves associating (by coating, impregnating, absorbing, adsorbing or otherwise) pigmenting and plasticizing agents with cotton or equivalent fiber, working the cotton fiber and agents into colored fibers closely simulating natural eyelashes, and attaching appropriately short lengths of these colored fibers by their inherent adhesiveness to natural eyelashes. Another aspect of the invention involves, as a new article of manufacture, an artificial eyelash elongation comprising pigmented and plasticized cotton or equivalent fiber having the physical properties and appearance of a natural eyelash and possessing sufficient inherent adhesiveness, when moistened with water or the like, for attachment to a natural eyelash as an artificial elongation thereof.

A further aspect of the invention is an elongated eyelash comprising a natural eyelash having attached thereto the artificial eyelash elongation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a method of forming an artificial eyelash elongation of the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates artificial eyelash elongations of the invention attached to natural eyelashes;

Fig. 3 illustrates an elongation ready for attachment to a natural eyelash, and

Fig, 4 illustrates a packaged form of the artificial eyelash elongation.

In practicing the invention, in its simplest form, one or more fine cotton fibers are impregnated with mascara in the presence of enough water to moisten and soften the waxy adhesive or plasticizing constituent (or constituents) of the mascara. Cake mascara may conveniently be slightly moistened and worked into the cotton fiber by a mascara stick, tweezers or other suitable applicator until the fiber simulates the appearance of a natural eyelash. In Fig. 1 the mass of cotton fibers l are mixed with a small body of mascara 2 and the resulting body of coated fibers are drawn out into a long hair-like body 3 which may be cut into suitable lengths 4 for attachment to the natural eyelash. It is usually desirable to trim th fiber at this stage to approximately the length of the desired elongation 5, as shown in Fig. 3. Then, with the aid of the stick or the like, the artificially prepared eyelash elongation is firmly brought into contact with a natural eyelash, preferably near the end of the latter, and the moist and soft adhesive constituent of the mascara bonds the artificial eyelash elongation to the natural eyelash. This operation is repeated until sufficient plasticized and pigmented fibers have been attached to the natural eyelashes to give the appearance and effect of naturally long eyelashes 6, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer ends of the elongations, if too long or shaggy, may finally be trimmed with small scissors. It is not necessary that every natural eyelash have an artificial elongation, nor is it necessary that the elongations'be of uniform length. Neither is it necessary that the elongations symmetrically follow the curve of the natural eyelash. A slight irregularity in the spacing and, curving of the elongations as well as in their individual lengths gives a more realistic effect. With a little practice an operator can so simulate naturally long eyelashes that the artificiality completely escapes even close inspection.

Mascara is a plastic coloring matter marketed in various forms such as cake, cream, liquid etc. Essentially it consists of a black pigment or dye, commonly carbon black, and various waxes, oils and the like of a plastic or adhesive nature. Among the waxes, oils and the like commonly present in commercial mascaras are carnauba wax, ozokerite, stearic acid, oleic acid, rieinoleic acid, petrolatum, trihydroxyethylamine steal-ate, triethanolamine, tincture benzoin. etc. Mascara is commonly used for coloring or dyeing th eyelashes, and hence the predominant pigment is fiber a color simulating that of the natural eyelash, and the waxy or oily constituents, or both, of the mascara impart the necessary adhesiveness to the cotton fibers for their attachment to the eyelashes. Moreover, the waxy and oily constituents impart such both and plasticity to the cotton fiber that the fiber, prepared for attachment to an eyeluh, closely resembles the natural eyelash.

In simultaneously preparing and attaching the elongations to an individual, I prefer to use cake mascara. By moistening the stick or applicator with water, the mascara can be worked into a plastic condition admirably adapted for application to the thin cotton or equivalent fibers. By carefully working the moistened mascara and fibers together, individual fibers or small groups of fibers can be properly Pigmented and plasticized for easy attachment, by the aid of the stick, to the natural eyelashes. When cream mascara and more particularly liquid mascara are used to pigment and plasticize the fibers, it will usually be unnecessary to moisten the mascara with water.

I have found cotton the most available and adaptable fiber for the practice of the invention. The cotton fiber is of light weight, thin and D11- able. It lends itself admirably to plasticizing with waxes and the like commonly present in commercial forms of mascara. By plasticizing, I mean that the initially thin and limp cotton fiber is given a certain body, stiflness and shape (curved as desired) that closely simulates the natural eyelash. The plasticized fiber possesses some resilience and is suificiently permanent for one, or even more, day's use as an eyelash elongation. By pigmenting, I mean that the fiber is colored, usually black. Cotton fiber is easily and effectively Pigmented by mascara or the like. It will of course be understood that any fiber possessing the aforementioned characteristic properties of cotton may be used in practicing the invention in any of its aspects.

Pigmented and plasticized fibers of cotton or the like, of varying lengths, thickness and color shade to suit varying individual demands, may be commercially prepared and marketed for direct application by the individual purchaser to her or his eyelashes. These prepared fibers, the artificial eyelash elongations of the invention, may be packaged so that when opened they are sufficiently adhesive or plastic for immediate application to the natural eyelashes. Or. the prepared fibers may be substantially dry, in which case it is only necessary to moisten them with water preparatory to attaching them to the natural eyelashes. In either case, the prepared fibers may conveniently be picked up and firmly applied to the natural eyelashes by a moistened mascara stick. The artificial elongations may advantageously be marketed as a continuous length of pigmented and plasticized fiber I wound on a spool or the like as shown in Fig. 4, in which case suitable short lengths are cut oil! and applied like the aforementioned prepared fibers.

When the artificial elongations of the invention have been attached to the natural eyelashes. preferably near the ends of the latter, the elect is a most realistic simulation of naturally long eyelashes. The union of theelongations to the natural eyelashes is hardly discernible. and the elongations extend outwardly from the natural eyelashes in the most convincing manner. The elongations may advantageously be prepared, either individually or commercially, of tapering thickness to simulate the tapering thickness of a naturally long eyelash. Thus, the inner end of the artificial elongation may be made thicker by preparing it of several individual fibers, with fewer fibers, even tapering to a single fiber, towards the outer end. Or, the fiber content of the elongation may be uniform throughout its length, and the tapered effect may be attained by a progressively decreasing amount of the pigmenting and plasticizing material from the inner to the outer end. The elongations, because of their inherent plasticity, can be given any desired curve or shape, and can be curved when attached to the natural eyelashes to conform to the curve of the latter, and can be attached to extend into the corners of the eye socket.

The artificial elongations of the invention are very inexpensive, and may be self-applied with little time and effort. They are safely and simply removed' from the natural eyelashes with cold cream or water, and'may, and usually are, applied each morning and removed each night before retiring. The elongations do not damage or inJure, and particularly do not break, the natural eyelashes either during attachment, while attached, or during removal. They are perfectly harmless and non-irritating, and require no special training or particular skill in attaching to the natural eyelashes. It is unnecessary to attach an elongation to each eyelash, since the result is just as eflective if a sufiicient number of elongations extend from the eyelash as a whole.

In appearance and physical properties, the artificial eyelash elongations of the invention are extremely natural-looking and so closely resemble natural eyelashes that detection of the artificiality is only possible by very close inspection. The pigmentation of the elongations can be made to match the color of any natural eyelash. The elongations are of substantially the samefineness and luster, and with the same taper if desired, as the natural eyelash. The elongations have sufficient plasticity and stillness to assume and maintain any desired position and shape, such, for example, as curves similar to the eyelashes to which they are attached. They are sufilcientlyresilient to maintain their simulated natural positions during all customary movements of the eyelids. Although sui'ilciently permanent in practical use during the period of attachment to an eyelash, the artificial elongation of the invention is in reality a transient or temporary article, and cannot be repeatedly attached to and detached from the natural eyelash without loss of its initial realism. The union of the artificial elongation to the natural eyelash is efiected through the medium or an adhesive or plasticizer that acquires adhesive properties by moistening with water, and may therefore be considered a water-soluble adhesive. This is a particularly characteristic advantage of the invention, since it enables easy and quick attachment and removal 0! the elongations without any damage or injury to the natural eyelashes. The artificial elongations of the invention can be worn without irritation or discomfort, without apprehension of inadvertent or accidental removal or dislodgement, and indeed as unconsciously as though the elongations were natural.

While mascara is a particularly convenient and available combined source or both the pigmenting agent and the plasticizing agent, it is tobe understood that these agents may be worked into the cotton or equivalent fiber either as separate agents or in combinations other than mascara. The pigmenting agent may for example be carbon black, or other suitable black pigment or dye, combined, if desired, with other colored p18- ments or dyes. The plasticizing agent may, for example, be one or more of the waxy or oily constituents customarily present in commercial mascaras, or equivalent waxy or oily constituents. Whether the fiber is treated with a combination of the two agents. such as mascara, or first with one agent and then with the other, is a matter of choice and economic considerations. In any case, the objective is to appropriately pigment or color the fiber and to impart to it the apparent physical properties of a natural eyelash.

I claim:

1. The method oi. artificially elongating eyelashes which comprises treating thin fibers with pigmenting and plasticlzing agents and working said agents into the fibers until they are covered with the agents forming an elongated hairlike body having the general appearance of an eyelash when cut to length, cutting the hair-like body into eyelash elongations of suitable length, and attaching said elongations to natural eyelashes by their inherent adhesiveness.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an elon- 

